Shutter construction



Sept. 21, 1943. c. J. WOOD SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION Filed April 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F 'LE 'L F 'I E E DINVENTOR Cas/m/r J. Wood vwm/v ATTORNEYS Sept. 21 1943. c. J. wool:

SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION Filed April 8, 1941 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I IIINVENTOR CaJ/m/F .J. W000 BY W ATTORNEYS -louver blades when the blades open position.

Patented Sept. 21, 1 943 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE iv I --'2,s2e,s6s t I SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION Casimir J. WoodyHillsb'orough, Califi, assignor to Redwood Manufacturing 00., Pittsburg, Califi, a corporation of Nevada Application April 8, 1941, Serial No. 387,404

' 50laims. (Cl.20--62) This invention relates toshutters or blinds of the type having louver blades pivoted at their ends for swinging to open or closed position.

One of the objects of this invention is a shutter having such blades, and so constructed as to seal the openingin which the shutter is positioned against entry ofwind or rain into the room in which such opening is located, and which shutter; is adapted tobeopened to various degrees for ventilation, and when only'partially open, will materially lessen the amount of moisture that would otherwise pass through said openingyunder similar circumstances, where a conventional structure is employed.

Another object is a shutter that is easy to make and to install; and which includes means for easily and quickly operatingall or apre- .determined number ofthe louver blades simultaneously, and which blades areconstructedv to interlock with each other when fully closed, to

form a joint between; adjacent blades having a tortuous cross-sectional contour for obstructing the passage of water'cr moisture between adjacent blades. I v

Other objects and advantages will appear in @the following specification andin the drawings.

.In the drawings, v

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, of my shutter as seen from outside the wall opening in'which it is adapted to be positioned;

Fig. 2 is an edge viewof the shutter ofFig. 1 in the frame carrying the blades.

I Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of Fig. 1, but partially broken in vertical length a to accommodate the View to the sheet.

Fig. 5-is a sectional view showing the relation between the overlapping margins "of several are in partially Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing ;a form-of the-invention in which the shutter blades are in several-gangs for separately-,openping of one or moregangs of blades as desired.

In detail-, the shutter comprises a rectangular ,frame having a sill l, headpiece 2,"and side pieces 3. -This iramecnay befflxedly secured in the .wall opening, or may be removably supported in an existing fr arne insuch opening; Below the horizontal head piece 2 is a horizontally extending upper strip 4 se curedto said head piece,

.and above sill I is. a -somewhat similarllower strip 5 secured thereto. Strips 4, 5 extend the,

7 full distance between side pieces 2.

Between strips 4, 5, is a vertical row of horibetween side pieces 2. Each of said blades is pivoted at its opposite ends by any. suitable, horizontally aligned, horizontal pivots I, to side pieces 3.

Referring to Fig. [4, thelouver blades are shown in fully .closed position in full line "and in open position in dotted line. The inner sides of the blades face into the room and the outer sides face outwardly thereof. The blades are substantially uniform in width, and each. blade is recessed from its elongated freeedge a uniform distance at opposite sides of the medial plane of the blade to provide an upper flange 8 along the upper edge thereof and a lower flange 9 along the lower edge. These flanges 8, 9 are offset at opposite sides of the medial plane of each blade, and the blades are positioned sothat thelower flange 9 of each blade overlies the upper flange 8 of the next blade therebelow. Strips .4, '5 are similarly recessed along. their .lower and upper edges respectively to" form flanges l2, l3 that correspond, respectively, to the lower and upper flanges 01, a blade,"and

which flanges 12,13 are adapted to engage the sidesof the uppenand lower flanges 8, 9, respectively, of thev upper and lower blades in the row of said blades... The flanges 8, 9, l2, l3. are

preferably generally planar with the plane of the row of blades when the latter are in closed position, and when the blades. are in said closed.

position, the flange on each blade fits in the recess formed along the longitudinal edge of. the

blade adjacent thereto, while the, upper flange 'of the upper blade, and the lower flange of the lower blade, respectively fit, in the recess in the lower edge of strip 4 and in the upper edge. of strip 5. The flange 9 on each blade is adjacent the outer side of each blade while 'theflange 8 is adjacent the inner side of each blade, .and flange I2 is adjacent the outer side of strip 4 while flange I3 is adjacent the inner side of strip 5, hence, when the blades are in closed position,

i any rain striking the blades or strip 4, will drain downwardly. over the blades and said strip, in-

cluding strip 5, and cannot pass between the blades or between the blades and-strips 4, 5

without passing upwardly between the adjacent .sides of flanges 8, 9 or between the flanges 8,

l2 and flanges 9, l3 and then passing generally horizontally again over theuppermost edges of Lflanges 8; 13., The uppermost edges of flanges 8,

l3 and the side of the recess in the lower edge of the blade or strip next above, are inclined slightly downwardly from the inner toward the outer sides of the blades and strip, while the lowermost edges of flanges 9, l2 and the sides of the recess in the upper edge of the blade or strip therebolovv are similarly inclined so as to even more surely prevent moisture passing into a room through the shutter when the blades are in closed position r In the foregoing description and claims, the term upper and lower refers to the edges of the blades or strips l2, l3, respectively, that are uppermost or lowermost when the shutter is substantially closed or fully closed, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The flanges 8, 9, i2, 13 extend. the iiuzll lengim of the blades 6 and strips 4, 5. About centrally of the width of each flange 8 and flange I3, is a ridge Ill extending the full length of each such flange, and these ridges are preferably substantially rectangular in crosssection. In each flange 9 and flange [2 is formed a'channel or groove H (Fig.5) corresponding in CROSS-'SBUfi'OIIaI contour to the ridges fir and which channelsor' grooves are positioned about centrally of the width of each such flange to receive the ridges If! on the flanges 8 and strip i3 when the shutter' biades are closed. This construction provides joints of tongue and groove structure between adjacent flanges, thus positively preventing the passage of moisture past such joints even under the most severe weather conditions.

All of the louver blades are connected. for pivoting simultaneously on pivots I to similar positions between vertical (closed) and horizontal (open) positions, by means of vertical strips M respectively positioned next to the inner sides of side pieces 3. A right angle bracket may connect eachendof each. blade to one of said strips, one. leg l5 of each bracket being connected by a pivot 6 with a; strip" M and the other leg H being connected. by screws t8, or by any other suitable means to an? endofj eachblade. The pivots I 6 are equally spaced apart and are equally spaced from the pivots If of the blades to which they are secured. When the blades are in closedposition, the side of each stripfacing the blades is close to the inner sidesof said blades and substantially in engagement with said inner sides. The said side of each strip isformed with a tongue I9Jextend'mg longitudinally thereof and the inner sides oi said blades adjacent; the ends thereof. are formed with grooves in vertical alignment; which grooves receive said tongues when the blades are in closed position (Fig. 3).

In this manner, the means for opening and closing the shutter, in. combination, with the shutters, forms a tongueand groove sealing joint at the ends of the shutters, so that any rain that mi'glitpass between the ends of the blades 6' and side pieces 3, and then between the adjacent side of strips M and said blades and into the room, is obstructed by the tongue and groove joint tormed by tongues !'91 and. grooves. 20'.

Along the edges of strips M that are opposite tongues 20; each stripis-forrued with a flange 21 ('Eig. 3') that carries a vertical-1y extending tongue 22' that projects toward the outer side'of the-shutter, and the inner edge of each side piece 3 is formed with a groove 2 5 that receives the tongue 20 on' the strip adjacent thereto, when said shutter blades are in closed position. Thus,,atongue and groove joint is provided between-eachstrip I14 and each si'depiece 3 that obstructs passage of water into the room, which water would otherwise pass between the ends of the blades and said side pieces and then between the strips l4 and said side pieces into the room. In fact this point is a double tongue and groove joint, since a groove 23 between tongue 22 and the main portion of strip l4 receives a tongue 25 formed on the inner edge of the side piece 3 between groove 24 and the side of the side piece adjacent the ends of the blades'fi. 1 f

The strips I i terminate at their lower ends short of the sill I when the blades are in closed position, so this space between the lower of the strips and sill, is closed by stationary strips 26 secured to side pieces 3. These strips 26 are substantially downward continuations of strips l4 when the blades 5 are closed, but are relatively narrow to-insure clearance for strips l4 when the strips are pivoted to open the shutter.

In referring to grooves 20, it is pertinent to note that upper strip 4 is grooved in continuation of said grooves and likewise, lower strip 5, has grooves incontinuation of grooves 26: The strips 25- are formed wit'lrtongues respectively fitting in each of the saidgrooves in said lower strip-and which tongues also fit in the grooves 25 in the lower louverblade of the row" of blades. Furthermore, the upper strip 4' has at'ongue 21 on its upper edge; fitting" in ai groove in the head piece- 2, while strip B'is formed with a tongue 18 fitting into a groove in sill-- i downwardly directed passageways P (Figs. 23 3-) may be formed in said sillopening at the'upper ends thereof i'n to the room adjaeentthe-inner si'd'e'of strip Ea-nd outwardly of saidlstripat the lower'ends, to permit drainage or any-"moisture Irom tl'ie'ihner side of the shutter structure that may enter when the louver blades are parti'ally or fully open.

, While these passagewaysfmay be formed in the Strip 5 itseif at itslowei -edgait' ispreferable that they open outwardly of the blades below said sill, so as to} positively i ns'ure agaihstianymoi'sture being driven theretlnough' from outside the wall in which tires-nutter iSmWfl-td.

The'head piece 2 and sill I form stops limitin-g the swinging of strips i4 to positions ih whieh the blades 6- are closed; or openythus against 'excessive strain on the blades, although the strips It will engage the inner sides of the biadesat the upper end of their" stroke when closing the shutter.

Secured to sill l is-aright aingle-bracitet 23; one leg-of which is secured to the sill adjacent one of side pieces 3,- while theotlier'leg' carries a: pivot 3 9- that pi votally secures one; end of a link 3| thereto. This link is elongatedl and is'formed with a 32 therein extendinglongitudinally thereof. A bolt-35 secured" to the strip I4 adjacent thereto ext-ends through saidslot, said bolt being provided with a wing or thumb nut 34 that is; adapted to'releasably clamp the link to the bolt against movement in any position of strips 14 in their stroke from and to positions inwhich the shutter is fully open-or closed.

The side pieces 3 may be vertically grooved alongside strips M, as indicated at 35' (fig. 3), and also outwardly of blades 6* as indicated at 365 so as to drai rr to the sill l, any moisture driven a'gainstthe side pieces or such moisture as may be driven alon'g'the louversto said side pieces. Since the grooves 36 are scanned by the end edges of the louver biades' when the latter are swung uponontheir'pivots 1, any moisture driven along the blades totheir ends will drain into the grooves for passage to the sill, when the louvers are partially or fully open.

tion for simultaneous: movement in- -their' stroke for-swinging theblades' fiand said b'ar'also rant tions as a handle to be grasp ay a op r tor It is pertinentto note that when tliebla'des 6 are only' partially open, as indicat'edin Fig. 5 a tortuous passage is forn ed-betweenthe opposed flanges'of'the adjacent blades through which air must pass; in entering a; room.' This "tortuous passage will admit air to the room but greatly restricts the amcuntotnioistare carried by the airgsin'ceeddy-currents will be set up betweensaid flanges to cause the moisture to be deposited on said flanges, and even when the louver blades are fully open, the moisture that is deposited on the upper surfaces of the blades will not be driven across the tongues l0 into the room, but will be stopped by said flanges' for drainage off the ends of the blades to the sill and then back to outside the sill.

Referring to Fig. 6, I show a shutter in which the blades 6 are in two gangs, the blades of the upper gang being connected at their ends to strips Ma and the blades of the lower gang being connected at their ends to strips Mb. These strips and their connections with the blades, being substantially the same as already described with respect to strips M.

The lower blade of the upper gang overlaps the upper blade of the lower gang to form a continuous row of blades identical with that shown in the previous figures.

A cross bar 38a connects strips Ma for actuating the blades of the upper gang, and a cross bar 3812 similarly connects the strips Mb.

To insure movement of the upper strips Ma to positions clearing the upper ends of strips Mb, it is necessary that the upper portions 26a of the lower strips be materially reduced in width.

The upper and lower strips Ma and Mb, are connected at their adjacent ends by a link 3la that is pivoted at its lower end to strip Mb by a pivot 30a, while the upper'strip Ma carries a bolt extending through the slot 320. in said link. When the upper and lower gangs of blades are closed, and the wing nut 34a on bolt 33a tightly that may be.

including side pieces extending" across the opp'osite ends of said bladesj means pivotallysupport' in'gsaidblades at their ends to said side pieces to permit-the" swinging of said blades on said pivotsj to and from closed position in which "ad-- j'a'cent margins ofadjacent' blades in saidirow are in overlapping --relat i'on;- means connecting clamps the strips Ma. and Mb against relative movement, it will be seen that the two gangs of shutters may be operated in exactly the same manner as the shutter previously described herein. However, when the nut 34a is loosened, then the upper gang of blades may be opened, and the lower gang closed, or Vice versa, or each gang may be opened to different degrees, as desired.

While this invention is termed a window shutter, and may be readily formed from wood, metal, or composition material, it is pertinent to note that where the louver blades are made of transparent or light transmitting material such as glass, or moldable material designated generally in the trade as cellulose acetate, casein, pyroxylin, acrylic urea, phenolic plastics, the device may function as a window for visibility therethrough and to fully close the window opening. Ordinary shutter construction will not accomplish these results.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A shutter of the character described including a row of parallel louver blades disposedin a single plane when in closed position; a frame said blades fo'r simultaneous swingingpn their pivots to andrro said position; said last m'enf tioned mean and-said side pieces being connected'by a tongue'fand' gro ve 'joint'whens'ai'd blades'a're? in "said closed position and-the over-- lapping y margins of said "adjacent blades bj eing also -connectd bya tongue 'and'ygroove when said blades are said closed p'osi 2. In a 'constructio'n as defined in claim d last mentioned means being connected with said blades by a tongue and groove joint when. said blades are in said'closed position.-

3. A shutter of the, character described comprising; arectangular frame having parallel, vertical side frame members, a sill and a head piece; a row of louver blades extending between said members and disposed in substantially a single plane when in closed position; generally vertically movable strips extending transversely of said blades over one of the sides thereof adjacent their ends; pivots at the ends of said blades mounting the latter on said members for swinging'from open to closed position and viceversa; means pivotally connecting said strips to said blades for so swinging said blades simultaneously; said strips being positioned to extend outwardly of the ends of said blades and across a portion of each of said side members outwardly of the end of said blades; a tongue and a groove respectively formed on the said portion of each side member and on that partof each strip ex-;

tending over such portion removably fitting one within the other when said strips are moved to swing said blades to closed position and separable from each other when said strips are moved to swing said blades to open position, the said tongue and groove on each such portion and member respectively extending longitudinally I thereof.

4. Ashutter of the character described comprising; a rectangular window frame having parallel, vertically extending side frame members, a sill, and a head piece; a row of louver blades, extending between said frame members and disposed substantially in a single plane when in closed position; generally vertically movable, verticalstrips along the ends of said blades on the sides thereof normally facing into a room in a wall in which said frame is adapted to be positioned; means pivotally connecting said strips to vsaid blades to permit'the simultaneous swing-' ing of said blades from said closed position to an open position upon such movement of said strips; means pivotally mounting said blades on said sidemembers for the swinging of said blades; said strips being positioned closely adjacent said side frame members and each having a portion thereof extending oppositely outwardly of the ends of said blades to, overlapping relation over a portion of each of said members; grooves formed in the opposite end portions of said blades in vertical alignment when said blades are closed, and a tongue on each of said strips fitting into the said grooves when said blades are in closed position.

5. In a shutter including a rectangular window frame having therein a plurality of horizontally extending adjacent pairs of "louver blades disnosed one over. the other in a single vertical row: pivots attheen'ds of said bladesjsupporting the blades on said frame for pivoting each blade on its horizontal axis; each of said blades being similarly rabbeted along its Opposite lon itudipally extending edges atone side only of each blade, thereby providing a marginal portion on each blade of reduced thickness at each side and along each opposite edge thereof; thesaid blades being supported by their-said pivots for movement to closed position in which the blades are disposed in substantially a single plane with the adjacent marginal portions ofythe adjacent blades of each pair thereof positioned in overlapping. substantially'engaging relation with the rahbets in opposed relation; one of each pair of said adjacent marginal portions being formed with groove-centrally of its width opening to- .ward the other marginal portion of such pair and said other marginal portion being formed with a tongue'centrally of its width adapted to fit in said groove when said blades are inclosed position; the engaging surfaces of each pair of said adjacent marginal portions at opposite sides of the groove and tongue respectively formed therein being flat and in a plane parallel with the plane of each blade, and the longitudinally extending outer edges of each pair of said overlapping marginal portions being substantially in abutting relation to the surface of the shoulder defining one side of each rabbet.

t r CASIMIR J. WOOD. 

